


The Call

by Kobuntan



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fights, Fist Fights, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Slow To Update, Violence, cursing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-06-01 02:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6496768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kobuntan/pseuds/Kobuntan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the cat is gone, the mice come out to stretch.<br/>Chinese Proverb</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mouse

She felt as if she was being followed. Eyes watching her, burning into her back. That disgusting feeling she hated the most. Her body tense, a thousand electrical impulses set to fire. She told herself that she will pretend as if she would be alone, not giving the intruders the joy. People do follow people, especially here, there might be a chance she is wrong.

However, with her background there is a possibility of someone trying to get her head. For a moment she hesitated, then turned and climbed over the hedge to her neighbour’s yard. As she did, she felt a strange chill. She walked steadily, trying not to draw attention to herself, while from the corner of her eyes she peered at the field occasionally.

She found a house in the wall that looked old and abandoned. She felt weird. She crawled under the hedges between their houses. It had never occurred to her that you could actually crawl under that mass of greenery, and when she found a hole, she lifted up the branches like a screen and covered herself with it. She could feel her heart beating, hammering away in her chest. She took in some deep breaths in silence, trying to calm herself down.

Two tall men landed on the ground, one of them ran his hand through his darker blond locks as he sighed. These men must have been following her around, she thought as her eyes scanned them. The young woman could not see the other man properly, only his back, which looked muscular. She assumed that he was holding something in his hands; they were not neither on his hips nor next to them. As the two men talked, another figure, a smaller one landed on the ground. He clicked his tongue as he shook his head.

He did not look as strong as the one who was showing her his back, he would be able to take him down and threaten them with him as her prey. Closing her eyes she focused, picturing the three men in front of her, taking some dirt into her hands she would kick the first one in the back, dodge the second and throw the dirt into the third one's eyes as she would pin him to the ground. As she heard steps, she opened her eyes and scanned the scenery in front of her.

She could feel the adrenaline pumping within her. Picking up some dirt from the ground, she squeezed it in her hand, she intake a large amount of air to calm her nerves. The man with the smaller figure waved at the men and with the help of 3DGM he flew up in the air.

She mouthed a curse at him for ruining her plan. Hearing one of the men yelling at him she smirked, knowing that they will be leaving soon and there will be a chance for her to run again. Although it was quite tiring for her to be running away each damned day, being chased like a mouse. Having luck on her side, she managed to run away every time.

The taller man, as expected, took something from the other man’s hand. Tucking it into his west he turned his back at both of them and flew away as well, leaving the tall blonde one alone. A drop of sweat rolled down the nape of her neck. He started to look around, scanning the place, he took few steps towards her and she swallowed hard. _Shit!_

She knew, deep inside her mind, she wouldn’t be able to take this one down. He was way too tall and muscular. He would manage to pin her down while breaking a bone or two. As he walked closer, she had a better look on him; his hair was the lighter shade of blonde, like the hay itself. His brows were unusually thick and furrowed together, reminding her of two wings that were forcefully glued together, his jaw was sharp and lips were thin. His facial expression was unreadable; it showed no emotions, however, reeked of respect.

As he was about to leave, both of them heard a heavy thud behind her. Her blood froze, her breathing thinned. She was drenched in sweat. She prayed, for the first time in her life, listing all the names of the saints she could recall. Another thud. Her body tensed and the man quicken his pace and walked towards the bush. She shut her eyes hearing the footsteps again, closer this time. Soon enough the footsteps behind her were heard faintly.

The hectic beat of her heart was fluttering in the pulse beneath her ear, against her ribs. Her head was spinning. Never before in her entire life had she felt so nervous before, not even the time when she was kidnaped by two men who tried to sell her to another one for food and supplies. It was nothing comparing to this, she was well aware of the fact that these men were not ordinary ones. Considering their fancy uniforms, she knew they were from the upper world, as they called it.

When she felt safe enough, she slipped out from under the greenery and decided to run in the opposite direction. She was breathing heavily with sweat dripping down the side of her forehead. Turned corner after corner, running flat out; people shouted things at her as she went. Hearing the sounds that made her heart sink a while ago, she decided to slow down her pace and lean against the wall, hiding her identity. Her eyes spotted a smaller figure with dark hair.

He landed only few metres in front of her, looking around the people that crowded him and spat few not so nice words at him. She smirked under her breath, _serves you right_ _imp_ , leaving the wall she passed the corner, going back to her plan and taking this one down. Since he was alone, it will be easy. Quickening her pace she turned another corner until she saw him still standing at one place, trying to get rid of people, the petite man withdrew his swords.

The crowded place gasped at the same time, as if they would have practiced it before, backing off and creating a path for him. The girl squatted and took some dirt into her hand and hid it in her pouch, gulping hard as she made few steps forward.

“Lost something, young man?” She asked, catching his attention. For a split second, she could have sworn he smirked at her question.

“A small rat.” He said, clearly speaking of her.

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.” She informed him, taking one step closer to him, ever so slowly. The raven haired man eyed her closely, his hands squeezing one of the swords, clearly displeased by her statement. _Flattery my ass_ , he thought to himself.

He copied her movement; however he did it to the opposite way, both of them eying each other dangerously, the crowd no longer around them. The scenery in front of them was too dangerous for them; some of them spat curses and left the small place.

They were circling around each other like two hungry vultures, waiting for the opponent to make the first step. However, none of them did so; they were only walking closer and closer to each other. The air around them grew thicker and warmer, a drop of sweat rolled down her forehead.

Their boots made their surrounding look dustier, the girl was growing impatient, and she wished he would do something. But he didn’t, instead he slipped down his hands off the sword and slowly moved it behind his back.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She warned him, and clicked her tongue, not pleased by his action.

“I don’t recall asking you for permission.” He told her his tone becoming more annoyed. The girl grinned, and then let out a squeal of laughter.

“Oh? Is that so?” She said and made another step closer, he mimicked her.

“I give you the permission then, pretty boy.” As she spoke, his left eye twitched several times. He looked as though he was barely controlling himself. The girl, now few metres away from the man, quickly ran her eyes around her surroundings, calculating any possibilities for her victory. Seeing two chances, she made her move, squatting down she made a swift move with her right leg, and the dust rose up from the ground, making it harder to see for both of them.

Quickly, her hand ran into her pouch and grabbed some dirt. Running towards the man who was already holding both of his swords in his hands, cursing at her, the young woman appeared in front of him as she blew the dirt into his eyes.

“Shit!” He cursed the hard dry ground and he cursed the pain he felt in his eyes. The girl used this opening; she jumped a bit and kicked the man into his back, making him hit the ground with a loud thud. Another bag of curses left his lips as she landed on his back. As she pinned him down and banged his head on the ground with a crack, she twisted his hand, landing flat on his back.

The man under her hissed in pain, lunged to get away, but two sets of hands held him in place. The soil became muddy and sloppy as the rain drops fallen. The man with the coal hair tried to breathe through his nose, his mouth full of mud and dirt. Lying on his back like an insect. He risked a shallow breath and felt the damp air enter his lungs.

The air grew colder, more chilling, the young woman held him down on the ground with her knee on his back, her hand holding his left one, slightly twisting it so he wouldn't be able to attack back. He tasted the sour mud in his mouth, spitting out whatever he could. He growled, dangerously angry. With her free hand she held a knife near his cheek, holding it firmly in her hand, not hurting him yet. She felt another pair of eyes, cold and hard, staring at her.

Her eyes felt like sandpaper from lack of sleep, she had to shake her head and look again. His eyes were two hard blue stones, bright as sapphires. Her eyes were like the green grass he saw outside the walls, and just as hard as his. No mercy in her eyes – no fear and no hesitation. As their eyes met, she made no effort to turn away.

The man in front of her noticed that her eyes were calm; he knew if he would move, his comrade would die in a blink of an eye. She wouldn’t hesitate slitting his throat, he was just a mere soldier after all, and he would die one day anyway. Another threat was slowly making its way towards her. She moved her head slightly, hearing footsteps, she knew he had company. He wouldn’t be such a fool to come with one man only. Her eyes were sharp and her reactions swift. As soon as she lifted the knife higher and dragged it down against the raven haired man’s throat the footsteps, slowered and then stopped. Her upper lip twitched in amusement.

“We are not here to harm you.” Said the man whose eyes she met a while ago. She turned her head back to the man that spoke to her, slowly, she scanned his figure. He was tall and well built, his muscles rippling through his white shirt and brown jacket. His skin was pale. His thinning blonde hair drawn back, his eyes say he's older than her. His shirt was accompanied by a greenish bowtie. He had a higher rank than the other ones here. The man beneath her was well built just like the man in front of her. However, the colour of his hair was different. It was darker than the night itself, and his face, she did not see properly. She wondered if she would lose consciousness if he would hit her.

She cocked an eyebrow as she met his eyes again.

“You came to say hello by making one—” She looked behind her, spotting a tall man with a weirdly shaped moustache that walked closer, and back at the blonde man.

“Two man attack me and try to cut my wings? Impressive I have to say, indeed.” She forced a laugh and made pressure on her knee to force the man under her squeal in pain. The bearded man behind her made another few steps closer to her, and she repeated the movement, making the man wince once again.

“Make another few steps and your friend here won't walk again.” She hissed like a cat, feeling the threat that was making its way towards her. She noticed their uniforms; they were from the forsaken Survey Corps everyone was whispering around. _What a catch_ , she thought.

“I'll break all of your bones the moment you release me, shitty brat!” Growled the raven haired man, feeling her knee on his back made him furious. He felt like a trapped dog in a cage. She had to laugh at his threat.

“I'd like to see you try, pretty boy.” She leaned her head to his level and whispered into his ear. He shrugged under her in discomfort and she giggled in return.

“So,” She looked up at the tall man. “What brought the famous Survey Corps to me?” She eyed the men dubiously.

“I'm here to make a deal with you.” The moment he sneaked his hand into his uniform she squeezed the knife and pressed it hard against her prisoner’s cheek. Blood had matted on his cheek and it looked as if he would be left with a scar. Raven haired man spat curses through his teeth. He withdrew a piece of paper, trying to ease her nerves he bit by bit unrolled it and turned it towards her.

“What a weak drawing of me.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You should consider hiring better draw—” As her eyes left her portrait and moved lower she noticed the price that had been offered for her head.

Her lips curved into a grin and had to clap in her mind for such bounty.

“Oh, it went up!” Her voice sounded almost happy, the man holding the papers cocked an eyebrow, unsure what to think about this woman's reaction. He cleared his throat and rolled the paper, putting it away.

“I offer you freedom. In return, I want you to lend me your power and fight with us.” There is no need for him to walk around the bush. Her first instinct was to laugh at the absurdity of his offer, but she would probably regret that later on. Such a chance would never show up again.

“So on the whole; you want me to die for you.” She stated. Those words ranged in his ears, and on spur of moment all those thoughts he'd pushed out of his head came rushing back in, and more thoughts, thoughts he didn't know he had, horrible thoughts of all those people who died for his belief, mankind’s. He saw himself stand on a pile of dead people. Seeing the man lost in his thoughts, she paid attention to the one beneath her.

“People like _you_ are trying to get back Wall Maria? I’m guessing you made no progress.”

“No wonder the famous Commander came to beg for help from someone like me.” She drove the knife into the ground in front of his nose. He jerked his face aback in surprise. The mockery in her voice made the man standing behind her angry.

“I would appreciate if you would stop talking ill about us.” How dared she. She had no idea what they have been through, what they had to sacrifice. How many lives and friends they have lost. He withdrew his swords out of the gear and was ready to attack. The young woman, however, ignored his poor attempt and cleaned her throat, catching the blond ones attention once again. His eyes, which were staring at the same spot for a while, changed their place at her.

“Humanities strongest warrior.” Said the tall man behind her. For a moment she thought she heard wrong, that's why she asked again, however the man only repeated himself. Her mind went blank while she gave a little laugh.

“Wait. Seriously?” She looked at him doubtly and then switched her sight on the other man.

“For real?” She giggled again and looked down on the raven haired man. Then it hit her, this was that famous Levi people were talking about? He did not look like a threat at all. His size was of a child’s, she had to admit that he was strong and clever, but she was faster than him. The tall man behind her squeezed the weapon in his hand and wanted to move forward; but the blonde man looked at him and shook his head disapprovingly.

“This was easier than catching a rabbit. _Corporal_.” She mocked him. She dared to mock him, a vein popped on his forehead as he struggled again. She was taken aback at the new found information. She had to mentally praise herself for such a good catch. She grabbed her knife again.

“What’s in for me _if_ I will go with you? Except the freedom part, of course.” Which she doubted she will get anyway. However, walking freely outside did not sound that bad at all. Just the thought of that made her stomach twinkle with joy. Levi spat another few curses at her. Ignoring him, as if he wouldn’t be there, she moved her head aback.

“Also tell your fellow partner to hide those sharp things, he might hurt himself.” The Commander of the Survey Corps was well aware of who she was implying to. His upper lip twitched slightly in annoyance, which was a rare thing for him. His features were always calm and hard to read, but this woman managed to play his nerves. The way she was looking down at them, him, made him grow angrier.

“I’m Mike.” He said through his teeth, still holding the weapons in his hands. Not willing to let go of them, for now.

“I never asked you to tell me your name, but thanks.” She did not even look at him; she kept her eyes fixed on the two men in front of her. She already knew the names of the two men which attacked her, now she waited for the last one to introduce himself. Mike was unsure what to think, but he was sure of two things, that this woman will be hard to talk to and tougher to deal with. He kept his thoughts to himself; he was more of the observation type than talkative one. He said nothing anymore as he stayed in the back.

“I’m the thirteenth Commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith.” He introduced himself to the woman and made only one step closer. She hummed in response, his name sounded unfamiliar to her, this time she made no effort to attack. She allowed him to walk closer and interrupt her comfort zone.

“I cannot promise that you will survive, however, I can ensure you that we are going to free people from titans! Humankind will rise again!” With that, he offered her his hand, the girl considered his idea for a moment, if she would take it, she would be a fool. Her mind started calculating and creating a new plan of escape.

Erwin’s hand clenched into a fist and fell back to its original place; the dark green cloak covered his limb. His eyes fixed on her face as he watched, no, scanning her features. Her skin was pale, no surprise there since she lived underground, her hair combed and tied into a pony tail. A small vertical cut was covering her beard; he did not pay further attention to it as his eyes moved back on hers. Her green orbs were scanning the place, running from one place to another. His face expression stayed the same as he squatted down on her level. She stopped, her eyes narrowed at the man interrupting her thoughts. Fingers around the knife tightened and she gulped.

“You won’t escape.” The Commander informed her; she cocked an eyebrow, briefly amused.

“Wanna bet?” She smirked, showing her upper teeth as she did so.

“No.”

“You are no fun.” She clicked her tongue and sighed, squeezing the raven haired man’s hand. She earned a loud hiss from him.

“Anything else you want to offer me?” She leaned her head closer to him, watching his features.

“Clean sheet.” His eyes were confident, serene, and inquisitive all at once. Erwin held his gaze as she considered his offer. She seemed to have considered that accepting his offer to collaborate with them wouldn't be the worst idea. However, the fact that she might die the following day, week or month did not brought smile on her face. On the other hand, she would have food daily, a warm bed to sleep on, probably some nice lads to talk to and also she would finally learn how to use the 3DGM. The young woman cocked her head to one side as she nodded her agreement.

“We have a deal then.”

She wondered how he is planning to free people from titans though. She pulled the knife from his throat and slowly stood up pulling in back to its original place, moving away a few steps; just in case. Allowing Levi to stand up again, he immediately started to clean himself. Brushing the dirt off his pants and shirt, getting rid of the now dried mud off his face and hair. She was never really the type of person who would think such matters through, however living up sounded acceptable for her. The fact that she could go outside the walls and fight until she is satisfied sounded promising.

“I accept.” With that, Levi turned his face towards the woman; grabbed her by her collar firmly, ready to teach her a lesson or two.

“You little shit!” He spat on her and held her firm. She tilted her head to the side and eyed his size.

“You are the one to talk.” She grinned, adding fuel into the already burning fire, which was a really good idea. Levi was ready to hit her when Erwin signalled Mike to tear them off of each other.


	2. Day 3

The first day at the Survey Corps was full of surprises and most of all, mixed feelings. People up here were different; some of them kind, some of them rude and some of them bit by bit losing their mind. She was used to it by now, so she paid no attention to it at all. Well, the last two wasn’t that different though. That wasn’t surprising. Up here, they were scared to death of titans; however down, they were scared of death and hunger.

The first time she saw the sun was something she could not describe in words, it was a feeling she will never forget. The warmth she felt on her skin, looking up at the sky; she closed her eyes and enjoyed that moment until she could. Despite the breeze, the feeling of the sun warming her skin felt more than good. It brought her back memories of her as a child, sitting near a camp fire around strangers – probably beggars, she did not knew and she did not care at all. She was happy she could share it with them without getting unnecessary injuries, or worse, raped.

Later that day, Mike called for her, she could move around only with the company of either Levi or Mike. They didn't trust her enough to let her walk around the base on her own. She felt like a small child being baby-sited, it did not please her at all. The feeling of being watched over made her feel like an outsider. In the end, she was, however she as a human as well, just like them.

The tall man with the unusually shaped moustache was the one that was most of the time walking next to her. Mike was a caring man; she had to give him that. He was a kind man, in most ways, who meant well, but whose mind had been scarred by death. He was a gentle person who she was drawn to, as he seemed to radiate peace and kindness. At some point, he reminded her of her beloved father, they even shared a similarly shaped moustache. The only thing that send shiver down her spine was his sniffing around like a dog. She wondered if he sniffed only her, or everyone around? If so, what did he scent?

That was the only thing that surprised her the most; she tried to pay no attention to it anymore as day passed.

If she would spend more than five minutes with Levi, however, they would most probably rip off their heads in a blink of an eye. She was needed and he was the humanities strongest, or so everyone said. She wasn’t convinced of that fact, yet. Who would want such a thing? No one. Erwin was well aware of that so he asked Mike to keep an eye on her. Levi, however, spend most of his time in Erwin’s office complaining how he would like to teach her some manners while doing his paper work.

“You two have something in common.” Erwin said, the mockery of his eyes giving a pellucid quality to his tone. The Corporal clicked his tongue, showing his teeth at the mockery of his tone. One would say that he found it offensive. His azure eyes narrowed playfully.

The blonde man was well aware of her good fighting skills, so now he had to know about her physical skills; and the last part was to teach her how to use the 3DGM. It was like learning a new born fan how to walk. His eyes were going up and down over her paper as he hummed.

“Fuck.” She had trouble maintaining her balance. The young woman already managed to hurt her elbow as she was falling. It was a better option to have an injured arm than brain. The head of the training squad, Keith, was yelling his lungs out at her, screaming with all his might. Telling her how useless it is to move her legs, that her arms look like two sticks that are about to break. Drops of sweat rolling down her forehead. She stared at his face: it was gaunt and tired. He had deep bags under his eyes. He — and the rest of them — were probably haunted by horrific nightmares. He looked exhausted and defeated, his skin was pale and clammy. If she would attack him now, she would most probably win. If they would meet under different circumstances, she would most probably even feel sorry for him. However, they didn't.

“Not like that! You, idiotic creature, will break it!” Keith eyed her with narrowed eyes. She had to bite her tongue not to tell him that the only thing that will break in a minute; will be his neck and neck only. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, lowered her back and arms a little. Imagining how she used to run a jump across the roofs of houses while she was running away from thieves. Remembering the feeling of it. Keith was yelling at her, her eyes opened, she tried to ignore him. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes once again, focused, concentrated with all her will. Her balance got steady now; she exhaled hard and opened her eyes.

“Wasn’t that hard now, was it.” Seeing the unpleasant look in Keith's eyes, created a grin on her lips. Keith walked away towards the superiors building where he was supposed to give a report to Erwin after they are done.

“Sure.” She shrugged her shoulders eloquently as she smirked. In the beginning, it was hard, not because of the heaviness that was attached on her hips, no, because of the weak explanation.

Amazingly, after she had finished it all she felt very calm and peaceful; almost as though she was under some kind of a spell. The moment broke with a sharp pain that strung her in the elbow, and her muscles. She was sore.

Unclipping the strings off of her gear, she fell on the ground, on her feet. She shot an unpleasant glare at Keith, still fresh in her memories as he called her useless as day, and walked away. She was sweaty, exhausted and dusty as an old rug. Her head began to ache, at the same time she felt a burning sensation flood her elbow. 

 

* * *

 

 

“I’d prefer a shower first.” Her arms crossed on her chest.

“No. This will take only,” the woman with the glasses looked at her papers and then back, placing her elbows on the table and tangling her fingers. “few minutes.” Her lips twitched at her response, her eyes slowly looked around the room. Searching for anything to take these three down. She already managed to take down the short one, Erwin would be a challenge she would like to give it a try, and the woman in glasses didn’t look particularly strong.

“Use anything you need.” He gestured to a door opposite to where the bed was. Levi sipped his tea, disinterestedly sitting on the couch with his legs crossed. The woman sitting behind the table narrowed her eyes slightly.

“I'll just take a few minutes.” She turned on her heel and walked in the bathroom, closing the door behind her, locking it.

Erwin looked at Hanji as he seated himself down on one of the chairs that were before the massive wooden table. She said nothing; suddenly they heard the sound of the water. Hanji sighed as she muttered silently under her nose and leaned against the back of her chair, massaging the back of her neck with her right hand. Erwin took his cup with coffee and took a sip of it, placing it back on the table. Levi was sitting in silence, empty cup on the table and he eyed the doors dangerously.

The running water stopped and the bathroom door opened, her hair was wet, water dripping from it as the water drops rolled down her skin. Her hair pulled back to the nape of her neck, exposing her high cheekbones. She was standing in front of them with the towel half covering her body. Levi narrowed his eyes at the sight, Erwin’s face stayed unemotional.

“Got any spare clothes?” She looked at the woman sitting behind the table with a cocked eyebrow.

“No.” She heard a deep, thick voice speak behind her. She turned around with narrowed eyes.

“I refuse to wear those dirty ones.” She maintained a calm tone as her eyes met his. A nerve twitched at the corner of his mouth, she noticed and crossed her arms under her breasts — making them seem bigger than they already looked. Erwin smirked at Levi, he remembered what they were talking before and clicked his tongue.

“No one cares.” He said in a sharp tone of voice. She disliked being in his presence. She disliked the feeling he gave her that he was trying to see into her mind.

“Then strip,” she said with a small smile creeping across her lips. He blinked as if snapping out of a trance, wondering if the hot water melted her brain completely. Suddenly a strange laughter filled the room. The sound of the female's laughter wasn't unpleasant, but at the same time it wasn't pleasing her ears.

“Shut it shit glassed woman,” He spat at her disgustedly.

“W-wait,” the woman left her seat and grabbed the knob as she said while laughing even louder. “I’ll get you some.” She nodded her head in thanks. The woman smiled at her and left the room.

“Here, sit down.” The blond male offered her a chair.

“Here.” He offered her coffee. The scent of coffee filled the room.

She refused both. She looked at him, he seemed amused. He was looking at his comrade with a smirk on his lips. She looked around the room, ignoring the two males as if she would be alone. Her eyes focused, she could make out several things within the room. She noticed several sheets of paper lying on the woman's desk, three mugs and pencils rolling around. Messy. Papers were lying even on the parapets, few paper- scrolls lying on the floor next to the desk and behind the chair. So messy. Shelves filled with various books and notes, she looked closer to read the title but was interrupted with the sound of the door opening.

“Here.” She handed her a new uniform, she took it, muttered a silent thanks and walked back into the bathroom.

She took a fresh towel and started drying herself as quickly as she could and then dried her hair. She put on the underwear and grabbed the white trousers.

“Shit! Whoever designed these was an ass.” She put them on without any trouble and grabbed the white shirt.

“Clearly a fan of clean stuff.” She groaned and started buttoning it. When she was done, she took the brown leather jacket and took it on. She opened the window to let in some fresh air and hanged the damp towel on the door. Grabbing the dark leather straps she opened the door and walked out, tossing the straps in the free chair that was offered to her just a while ago.

“The man who designed these uniforms should be punished with nothing but death.” She said as she combed her hair with her fingers into a pony tail.

“Indeed.” Erwin chuckled and dipped his head in a nod. She wasn’t expecting from him to be the one agreeing, the girl shrugged and seated herself before the woman in glasses who was now sitting behind the desk.

“I’m not sure if I caught your name.”

“That’s because I never said it to you.” She nodded her head and crossed her arms on her chest.

“True,” she said. “so?” The woman chuckled and fixed her glasses.

“I’m Hanji, Hanji Zoe.” She said as she raised her right hand to her offering to shake her hand. She took it and they shake hands.

“Pleasure.” Said Hanji as she released her hand and took the paper and a pencil into her hand. The young woman said nothing; she leaned against the chair and waited.

“Aren’t you interested why are you here?” Hanji cocked her head to the side as she scrabbled down some notes.

“Not really.”

“I see.” She chuckled, placed the pencil on the desk and stood up. Erwin followed her with his eyes as he sipped his now cold coffee.

“I will have to ask you to take off your clothes,” Hanji placed her right hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it off as she stood up as well. “I have to make a check up on your health.”

“Sure.” She did not oppose, she did not find any point in it. They would do it in a nice way, or bad way. She chose the nice way.

“Are you,” she looked at Erwin and then behind her.  Erwin looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. “planning to check my health as well?” She heckled, startling him out of his wonderment. Her hands were on her neck as she started unbuttoning her shirt slowly. Levi was the first on his feet; she could hear him click his tongue in disgust as he opened the door.

“That won’t be necessary.” Erwin refused the offer and followed Levi out of the room.


	3. The Nightmare

She awoke to a sharp pain in her head and neck. She attempted to sit up, but the dizziness in her head drew her right back down on the ground. Why weren't her hands moving? Where was she? “What—” Her lips were cracked. Her throat was sore from lack of any fluids. She could wriggle her fingers, but she couldn't move her hands. The room was dark, she could barely see. The young girl made a mental note to find out if anyone else occupied these cells with her. After a while she realised her hands were cuffed behind her back, and her feet were tied together with a second pair of chains. She tried to free her hands, but they were set tight. She felt a searing pain in her wrist. Her head still hurt from the blow, and her scalp felt sort of sticky with what was probably dried blood.

Her hands became muddy and cold as she touched the ground. She could smell the wet grass and mud; she put her hands in it, it was soft. It reminded her of her mother’s porridge she used to make her. As she touched the ground, she felt small movements in her hands. Looking loser, the maggots squished between her fingers and began to make their way up her hands and arms. Choking back vomit, she felt her stomach bubble as she yelped. Then there was something hard. Rocks. Cold. The cold, damp rock seemed to her touch like the hand of a corpse. She felt pebbles, water, and mud.

She knew what had happened, but she had the slightest idea why. She made a humming noise. “Anyone here?” She looked around; her vision got already accustomed to the dark. There was no one, she was alone. A sigh escaped her lips as she tried to move her legs. “Shit.” From her wrists to her chained ankles, every part of her body ached in protest to her lack of movement. How long has it been since she last walked nor moved her limbs? After a while, she heard buzzing noise in the distance. Flies were buzzing around something in the dark, she gulped hard aware of what could it be. This wouldn’t be her first corpse to see, she was surrounded by dead, however she wasn’t fond of seeing them. As she imagined the maggots that were a moment ago in her hands crawl on a dead body she gagged. She sighed dropping her eyes.

After a moment of struggling, she heard tapping. She stayed still and her breath hitched in her throat, her heart missed a beat. It wasn’t the typical tapping of rain, no, someone was there with her. It was an odd tapping sound coming from the cell next to hers. “W-who’s there!?” She wasn’t alone; a cold shiver ran down her spine. The tapping continued, it got faster and faster when it suddenly stopped. Only then she realised she was holding her breath in and her lungs ached. An unpleasant, triumphant laugh reverberated against the cell. The sound of his laugh made her skin crawl. She tensed and could feel the bile and panic settling in her throat as her moving produced a rattle of chains. This time his laugh was really slimy, she winced and looked around. Her eyes searched through every inch of the cell. She saw nothing, no one. Her body was shaking slightly. She had an unpleasant feeling, and her heart was beating faster at every noise she heard. “Little girl.” Said a singsong voice cheerfully. The young girl gasped as she curled her body in a ball. She closed her eyes and chewed on her lower lip, counting in her head. “Little girl.” The voice continued in a singsong voice. There were a few minutes' silence and then, the voice continued in his irritating singsong voice. “Come, play with me, little girl.” It said. Her eyes opened, she heard it move closer. She was scared, too scared to do anything but stare at the darkness. She shook her head lightly as she spoke. “N-no.” The girl froze when she heard footsteps. The sound was coming closer with each step; she could have sworn her heart was in her throat before all went quiet again. “Yes.” The cold, whispery voice said. The young girl gulped so hard her throat hurt, she tried be as close to the wall as it was possible. He chuckled, first softly, but then it built into something stronger, louder, and a little more frightening. Suddenly, a deep and mad laughter was echoing around the room, filling every part of her with terror and dread. An ice-cold shiver went down her spine, her blood simmered, and her heart rammed against her ribcage.

She woke up, drenched in sweat slightly shaking. Her heart pounding, her breathing laboured. She sat up in bed, looking around in the dim light. She looked towards the light; the candle was still burning, just as she left it. A little flame, in the dark. She was in her room, alone, all alone. Not in that place anymore. _Safe._ Her legs swung off the bed and stood on bare feet. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t particularly warm either. _Why now._ She ran her fingers through her thick hair. She walked into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face, she released a heavy sigh before returning to the bed. Laying in the unfamiliar, too soft bed, her eyes open and fixed on the ceiling. Without prompting, the scene from her dream began a slow replay through her mind.

She rolled on her side, unable to forget her dream she sat up and placed her head into her hands. The tips of her fingers were slowly massaging her forehead, making her slowly feel at ease.

She cocked her head and looked out of the window. The sky was turning a gentle rose pink with fluffy silverish clouds hanging lazily above the horizon. She walked over towards the window and slowly opened it so she didn't make a noise. Her skin cooled instantly as the fresh air hit her, filling her nostrils, making her skin come out in goose bumps. She breathed a sigh of relief the moment the cold air hit her skin. “That's more like it!” She swept her hands over her skin, rubbing and brushing. The smell. The fresh air outside made her realize how refreshing the air was up here. She wondered if her captain realised such a thing as well. Her comrades spoke rumours about him that he was from the underground as well, just like her, that he lived in dirt and yet, he cleans everything around him. The thought of him cleaning his room made her smile. For such a small man he was strong, but she was sly as a fox. Inhaling the cold air that smelled after soil and grass she concluded that her captain probably appreciated the air as well. She stretched her arms up above her and then back down. The young soldier leaned against the window frame as she watched the sunrise in silence.

She closed her eyes and could feel the heat upon her face. It was cleansing. She didn't know how long she was like that, but when she opened her eyes again, the sun had shifted its position and suddenly everything looked colourful again. She could hear footsteps pounding behind her door. The steps were loud and sounded heavy, they belonged to a tall man. With a sigh she closed the window and ever so slowly walked towards the door. As she opened it she was welcomed with a pair of blue eyes.

“You are up early.” He noted.

“Yes.” She nodded. And you too, she thought. She wanted to make a remark of his loud walking, but decided to wave a white flag for now. Having at least one person on her side would be nice, she thought.

“Anything I could help you with?”

For several seconds, he stared at her. His eyes moved over her face, down her body and back to her eyes again. “Perhaps changing into your uniform.” The shirt was at least three sizes too big for her, coming down past her knees, making a kind of short dress. For a split of a second he wondered if she wore anything else underneath it.  

She looked down at herself. “Right.” Erwin made a mental note to get her a proper sleeping attire.

“After that, meet me in my office.” He switched the papers in his hands and left her behind. After a while she could hear the sound of the closing door.

“Right.” She closed the door.


End file.
